Biman BG147 DAC-DXB Hijack Attempt
A B-738 with a hijacker who wanted to talk with the Prime Minister about an issue his wife.
Biman plane hijack drama ends in Chattogram; suspect held; all passengers, crew unharmed
Senior Correspondent, Chattogram Bureau and Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.comPublished: 24 Feb 2019 06:34 PM BdST Updated: 24 Feb 2019 08:49 PM
BdSTAll the passengers and crew members disembarked safely from Dubai-bound flight BG147 from Dhaka after the suspect pulled a gun at the pilot’s head on Sunday afternoon.
Tension rose when security forces surrounded the plane at the airport in a stop-over at 5:41pm and the authorities there halted all flight operations.
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman, who took part in the rescue operations, told reporters about the arrest of the suspect at the airport around 7:45pm.
The suspect had wanted to talk to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Air Force official said.
The suspect had an issue with his wife and wanted to talk about it with Hasina, he told the pilot, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Chairman M Naim Hassan
Briefing the media, the CAAB chief said the authorities maintained communication with the pilot.
All on board the plane but a crew member named ‘Sagor’ disembarked safely first and Sagor also got off the plane later, Naim said.
A team led by Air Vice Marshal Mafidur from the air force base in Chattogram conducted the operation from 7:17pm to 7:25pm at the CAAB’s request, Naim said.
Hasina was informed and the “combing operation” was conducted on her orders, the CAAB chief said.
The suspect, who wore a wired clothe and seemed “a bit mentally imbalanced, was pulled out in an injured state, Naim said.
He also said the suspect was speaking Bangla and appeared to be a Bangladeshi.
The airport was opened at 8pm, Naim said.
Investigation will be conducted to find out how the suspect broke the security barriers to get on the plane, he added.